You’re a new joiner to the Civil Service and have to spend a year on probation. You have a lot of information being thrown at you and you aren’t sure what is important and what is not. Here’s a quick guide to some of the most important things to know about your first year in the Civil Service:

Circulars are important

Circulars are a lot more important than you think. Each is a guide to how the State wants a specific issue progressed. If there is a dispute, it will most likely be resolved by referring to the governing circular on the matter.

You were hired by circular. Each and every competition in the Civil Service has a governing circular attached to it. Make sure you keep a copy of that circular. You never know when it might come in handy.

Disputes in relation to pay, probation, tenure and a myriad of other issues are often referred to in a circular. If there was a dispute in relation to any aspect of your employment, the competition circular could be the document that you need to unlock the answer. Keep it safe for as long as you are in the Civil Service – and if you have the good fortune to be promoted some day, keep a copy of that circular too.

The probationary guidelines are important

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform probationary guidelines are important. They contain the approach to probation management that offices and departments are obliged to follow. It is particularly important that timelines are adhered to and that each decision is documented.

The guidelines recommend that probation review meetings are held after 3, 6 and 9 months, with the officer being told at the 9 month review if their probation is to be successful or not.

It should be noted that there are two different types of probation in the Civil Service: Probation for your first post in the Civil Service, and probation on promotion.

The distinctions are important. Probation for your first post in the Civil Service is governed by the 1956 Civil Service Regulation Act. This means that if you are not successful at probation, you will lose your position in the Civil Service.

Probation on promotion is not, strictly speaking, probation. It is, rather, an opportunity to ‘Act up’ into a higher grade for a year. If successful, your promotion will become permanent. If not, you will be reverted to your last position (as opposed to losing your job altogether).

Probationers have the right to appeal

In 2016, the Civil Service unions won the right to a probation appeal mechanism. Basically, if you are new into the service and are told before the end of the probationary year that your probation was not successful, you have the right to an appeal. If the appeals officer agrees with you, they will recommend that the Secretary General does not terminate your employment. Fórsa will be there to assist your preparation for this.

There is a different avenue of appeal for those who were civil servants beforehand and who are in danger of not having their promotion confirmed.

Seán Carabini - Fórsa